Revolution II 2 (6) - Philadelphia Union II 2 (7): Three Thoughts
Three thoughts following Revolution II's collapse on the road.
Thursday evening saw New England Revolution II hit the road as they paid a visit to Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, to take on Philadelphia Union II.
Despite goals from Marcos Dias and Javaun Mussenden giving Revs II a 2-0 lead in the second half, they couldn’t see the game out as Philadelphia found two of their own to secure a point with a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation.
The shootout did not go in Revs II's favor either, as Philly took home the 7-6 shootout victory to send Revs II home with one point.
Here are three thoughts following the disappointing result.
1 - Delayed Response
For the second time in three games, Mother Nature threw a wrench into Revolution II’s momentum as weather delays resulted in extended pauses in their June 9 draw against Chicago Fire II and last night’s draw against Union II.
The common factor in both delays was Revolution II losing all its momentum, which led to dropped points. June 9th’s meeting saw Revs II get off to a hot start as Judah Siqueira netted his first professional goal to give New England the lead 15 minutes into the game. That was until inclement weather forced the game into a delay that eventually led to its postponement until the following day.
Things went horrifically for Revs II the next day as they conceded before halftime, leveling the match. Despite Josh Macedo regaining the lead with his first professional goal in the 59th minute, Chicago clawed their way back into the game, which led to a 2-2 finish at the end of regulation.
Weather derailed Revs II once again on Thursday. After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, weather in the area forced a delay to the start of the second half. This time, Revs II came back from the delay hot as Javaun Mussenden’s first professional goal led New England to double their lead in the 55th minute. Unfortunately, it went downhill after that.
A goal from Cavan Sullivan in the 61st minute and another from Rafael Uzcategui in the 68th led to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation. Revs II were unable to pick up the extra point in the shootout following a 7-6 defeat.
Throughout the season, Richie Williams has emphasized the importance of his side closing out games. It's something they’ve failed to do in June as their winless streak extends to a third game.
We’re nearly at the halfway point in the season and Revs II find themselves teetering outside the playoffs at eight. The club really needs to find ways to finish games strongly if it wants to find itself in a playoff position.
2 - Disastrous Discipline
Revolution II has been well-mannered throughout the 2025 season. Their 28 yellows are tied for the 12th-fewest, and they are one of 11 teams not to receive a red card this year.
However, last night’s meeting was out of the norm for Revs II. It started less than 120 seconds into the game when the head referee paused the game after the ball rolled out of play to issue Javaun Mussenden a yellow card for something that occurred behind the play.
Joe Buck saw yellow in the 67th minute following a foul on Giovanny Sequera. Liam Butts saw yellow in the 73rd minute after continuing play following the referee’s whistle and sending a shot directly at Union II goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook.
The 90th minute saw head coach Richie Williams and Marcos Dias receive yellow cards after the two expressed their displeasure in a call that went in favor of Union II.
Yellows are a common occurrence in today’s game, but it seemed most of their yellows came due to frustration with the events unfolding in the match. Revs II have to keep a cool head going forward to prevent yellows from hindering them.
3 - Learning Experience
While it was a difficult result, sometimes they’re needed to help develop young prospects. It was a good outing for Javaun Mussenden, who netted his first professional goal to give Revs II a 2-0. Thursday’s match also saw Academy prospects Eli Ackerman and Aidan Reilly get more minutes under their belt.
Reilly weighted the world on his shoulders in the bottom of the seventh round of the shootout as he needed to find the back of the net to keep Revolution II alive. He did so when he sent a right-footed shot to the lower left corner to tie the shootout.
Ackerman was also under a lot of pressure when he stepped to the spot to close the eighth round. The Academy prospect needed to find the net to force a ninth round. Ackerman came up short as his shot was tipped away by Holbrook.
Unfortunately, Revs II was unable to secure the additional point, but the shootout process gave some young prospects a chance to experience the highs and lows the game offers.